Kavita Sarathy, PT, DPT

Kavita earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy from Columbia University, during which time she was a member of the Columbia University Dance Research Team. On this team, she spearheaded an investigation into the role of physical therapy in the collegiate dance setting and presented this research at both the American Physical Therapy Association’s Combined Sections Meeting and the Performing Arts Medicine Association’s Annual Symposium. Throughout her time at Columbia, Kavita assisted in injury screenings for professional dancers and helped facilitate movement accessibility workshops for children with physical and mental disabilities. In her final semester at Columbia, Kavita also completed elective coursework in advanced orthopedics, foot and ankle pathologies, and performing arts rehabilitation which deepened her passion for continuing education within physical therapy. As part of her advanced orthopedics elective, Kavita and a classmate designed and taught a masterclass on sacroiliac conditions across the performing arts and other sports. Kavita received her Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology and a minor in Kinesiology from Syracuse University. 

Kavita spent much of her life training in ballet, jazz, contemporary, musical theater, and Kathak (a classical Indian dance). In 2016, she helped open a local dance studio in her hometown, where her love for analyzing movement and background in performing first intersected to inspire her career path. This connection only continued to grow, giving her opportunities to study the unique biomechanics of dancing through her undergraduate research and to ultimately complete her final clinical affiliation at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Through all of her clinical affiliations, Kavita was fortunate to build a background in treating orthopedic post-operative procedures and sports injuries as well as acute medical/surgical conditions at NYP Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Kavita uses her foundation in dance and dedication to integrating movement analysis with neuromuscular re-education to inform her approach to sports rehabilitation. Her clinical approach always emphasizes individualized care across the full continuum of recovery, whether that is short or long-term. She is committed to optimizing function and promoting longevity in the activities her patients love, enabling patients to safely return to and sustain the physical demands of their craft, sport, or daily life. In her free time, Kavita loves to take yoga or pilates classes, use Central Park as her personal backyard, and try the hundreds of restaurants she has saved.